MINI COOPER 2003 Owner's Guide
Manufacturer: MINI, Model Year: 2003, Model line: COOPER, Model: MINI COOPER 2003Pages: 148, PDF Size: 3.17 MB
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OVERVIEW REPAIRS OPERATIONCONTROLS DATA INDEX
SLIDING/TILT SUNROOF
*
To prevent injuries, exercise care 
when closing the sliding/tilt sunroof 
and keep it in your field of vision until it is 
shut. Make sure that the closing path of the 
sliding/tilt sunroof is clear.
When leaving the vehicle, always remove 
the ignition key from the lock and remem-
ber to close the doors, e.g. to prevent chil-
dren from operating the sunroof and injur-
ing themselves.
Be sure that adequate clearance is main-
tained for the opening path of the sliding/
tilt sunroof, otherwise damage can occur.<
For convenience operation via the door 
lock, refer to page 25.
Raising – Opening – ClosingFrom ignition key position 1:To raisePress the switch
or
push the switch backwards to the resis-
tance point.To open and close1. Push the switch in the desired direction 
until you feel resistance, and hold in this 
position
2. Release the switch when the desired 
sunroof position has been reached.
Do not use force to close the sliding/
tilt sunroof in its raised position, as 
damage to the mechanism could result.<
After the ignition has been switched off:
You can still operate the sliding/tilt sunroof 
for up to one minute, as long as no one 
opens any of the doors.
If a door is opened during operation, the 
opening/closing stops immediately.
Automatic openingPush the switch back past the point of 
resistance: 
The sunroof opens completely.
Touching the switch briefly during opening 
stops the movement immediately.
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SLIDING/TILT SUNROOF
*
ROLLER SUN BLIND
*
Manual opening and closing
In the event of an electrical malfunction, 
you can also operate the sliding/tilt sun-
roof manually:
1. Push the clock towards the interior and 
remove
2. Use an Allen wrench to turn the sliding/
tilt sunroof in the desired direction. 
1Opening1. Press the button in the handle, see 
arrow 1.
The cap is unlocked
2. Guide the roller sun blind towards the 
back.2Closing1. Use the handle to pull the roller sun 
blind forwards
2. Engage the handle in the device, see 
arrow 2.
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OVERVIEW REPAIRS OPERATIONCONTROLS DATA INDEX
ALARM SYSTEM
*
The concept
The alarm system reacts if:
>A door, the bonnet or the tailgate is 
opened
>There is any movement inside the vehicle 
– interior motion sensor
>There is a change in the tilt angle of the 
vehicle, e. g. during attempts to steal 
wheels or tow away the vehicle
>There is interruption of the battery volt-
age.
Depending on the country-specific version, 
the alarm system signals unauthorized 
entry or tampering in different ways:
>Acoustic alarm for 30 seconds
>Turning on the hazard warning flashers 
for approx. five minutes.
To arm and disarm the alarm systemWhen the vehicle is locked or unlocked via 
the driver's door lock or with the remote 
control, the alarm system is also simulta-
neously armed or disarmed.
The interior motion and tilt alarm sensors 
are also activated with the closing action.
The alarm system cannot be armed if 
the driver's door is not properly 
closed.
In some country-specific versions the alarm 
system can only be operated with the 
remote control. 
Unlocking these vehicles with the key trig-
gers the alarm. 
To stop the alarm: 
Press button 1 – unlock – 
or
turn the ignition key to position 1.<
Indicator lampAlarm system:
>Indicator lamp in the wiper system lever 
changes after 10 seconds from fast blink-
ing to constant flashing: 
The system is activated
>Indicator lamp does not react: 
Doors, bonnet or tailgate are not prop-
erly closed.
Even if these are not closed any more, 
the alarm system is activated and 
secures the remaining part of the vehi-
cle. If everything is closed, the indicator 
lamp changes after 10 seconds from fast 
blinking to constant flashing
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ALARM SYSTEM
*
>Indicator lamp goes out when the sys-
tem is disarmed: 
No tampering with your vehicle has been 
detected
>Indicator lamp continues to flash at a 
slow rate after the system is disarmed:
Your vehicle has been tampered with. 
The indicator lamp will not go out until 
the ignition key is turned in the ignition 
lock or the alarm system is re-armed.
Interior motion sensor:
>Indicator lamp does not react:
Doors or tailgate are not properly closed
>Indicator lamp flashes constantly:
Only driver/passenger window and slid-
ing/tilt sunroof is open. 
Interior motion sensor is not activated. 
Alarm system is armed
>Indicator lamp is lit somewhat longer 
and then flashes constantly:
Window and/or sliding/tilt sunroof were 
closed after the system was armed: 
interior motion sensor is not activated.
Avoiding unwanted alarm The tilt alarm and interior motion sensors 
may be turned off at the same time. This 
will prevent unwanted alarms, e.g. in 
duplex garages or when on car transport 
trains:
Lock the vehicle twice – activating:
Press button 2 of the remote control twice 
in succession, see page 25 
or 
lock with the key twice, see page 25. 
The indicator lamp goes from fast blinking 
to regular blinking. After approx. ten sec-
onds the indicator lamp changes to con-
stant flashing. The tilt alarm and interior 
motion sensors are deactivated until the 
system is disarmed.
Interior motion sensorTransmitter and receiver of the interior 
motion sensor system are found under a 
cover in the vehicle roof.
For the interior motion sensor to function 
properly, the windows, sliding/tilt sunroof 
and doors must be closed.
Turn off the interior motion sensor – see 
previous column – if
>children or animals remain in the vehicle
>windows or the sliding/tilt sunroof 
remain open.
The tilt alarm and interior motion 
sensors are inadvertently turned off if 
the convenience closing of windows and 
sliding/tilt sunroof is interrupted in the 
first 10 seconds and then restarted. The 
alarm must then be disarmed and reacti-
vated.<
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OVERVIEW REPAIRS OPERATIONCONTROLS DATA INDEX
SAFE SEATING POSITIONThe ideal seating position can make a vital 
contribution to relaxed, fatigue-free driv-
ing. Together with the safety belts and air-
bags, the seating position plays an impor-
tant role in providing occupants with 
maximum levels of passive safety in an 
accident. To ensure that the safety systems 
operate with optimal efficiency, we 
strongly urge you to observe the instruc-
tions contained in the following section.
For supplementary information on trans-
porting children, refer to page 41. 
Sitting safely with airbags
Always maintain an adequate dis-
tance between yourself and all of the 
airbags. Always hold the steering wheel by 
the rim with the hands at the 9 and 
3 o'clock positions to keep any chance of 
injury to hands or arms to an absolute min-
imum, should the airbag be deployed. No 
one and nothing is to come between the 
airbags and the seat occupant. Never use 
the front passenger airbag cover as a sto-
rage surface for objects of any kind, or as a 
support for legs or feet, as this will increase 
the risk of injury in a collision severe 
enough in which the airbag will deploy.<
For airbag locations and additional infor-
mation on airbags, refer to page 40.
Safe with safety belts
Never allow more than one person to 
wear a single safety belt. Never allow 
infants or small children to ride in a passen-
ger's lap. Avoid twisting the belt while rout-
ing it firmly across the hips and shoulder, 
wear it as snugly against your body as pos-
sible. Do not allow the belt to rest against 
hard or fragile objects. Do not route the 
belt across your neck, or run it across sharp 
edges. Be sure that the belt does not 
become caught or jammed.
Avoid wearing bulky clothing that prevents 
the belt from fitting properly, and pull on 
the belt periodically to retension it over 
your shoulders. In the event of a frontal 
impact, a loose lap belt could slide over the 
hips, leading to abdominal injury. In addi-
tion, the safety belt's restraint effective-
ness is reduced if the belt is worn loosely.
Expectant mothers should always wear 
their safety belts, taking care to position 
the lap belt against the lower hips, where it 
will not exert pressure against the abdomi-
nal area.<
For information on using the safety belts, 
refer to page 38.
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SEAT ADJUSTMENTImportant adjustment information
Never try to adjust your seat while 
operating the vehicle. The seat could 
respond with an unexpected movement, 
and the ensuing loss of vehicle control 
could lead to an accident.
Never ride with the backrest reclined to an 
extreme horizontal angle – especially 
important for front passengers to remem-
ber. Keep the backrest relatively upright to 
minimize the risk of sliding under the 
safety belt and sustaining injury in an acci-
dent.<
To adjust the seats, see the following sec-
tion.
Longitudinal seat adjustment 1. Lift the handle 
2. Push the seat into the desired position
3. After releasing the handle, apply pres-
sure to the seat to ensure that the latch 
engages securely.
Make corrections in the longitudinal 
adjustment of the seat to ensure that 
the safety belt still fits firmly against your 
body. If you do not do this, the protection 
provided by the safety belt may be 
reduced.<
Seat height 1. To raise:
Pull the handle up repeatedly, continu-
ing until the seat reaches the desired 
height
2. To lower:
Push the handle repeatedly, continuing 
until the seat reaches the desired height.
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OVERVIEW REPAIRS OPERATIONCONTROLS DATA INDEX
SEAT ADJUSTMENT ENTRY TO THE REARLumbar support* You can adjust the contour of the backrest 
for additional support in the curvature of 
your spine's lumbar region. The upper hips 
and spinal column receive supplementary 
support to help you maintain a relaxed, 
upright posture. 
Turn the wheel. The contour is strengthened or weakened.
Backrest tilt 1. Pull up the lever at the inside of the seat
2. Apply weight to or remove weight from 
the backrest as required
3. Release the lever so that the backrest 
locks into place.
Easy entryThe Easy entry function includes a memory 
for the longitudinal seat and the backrest 
positions.
1. Push down the lever at the outside of the 
seat, see arrow 1.
The backrest folds forward automatically
2. Push the seat forwards, see arrow 2.Original positionSlide the seat back to its home position 
before folding back the backrest, otherwise 
the seat is latched in at its current position. 
Then make any longitudinal adjustment 
manually, see page 34.
1. Push the seat back into its home posi-
tion
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ENTRY TO THE REAR HEATED SEATS
*
2. Fold the backrest back to the home posi-
tion to lock the seat.
When returning the seat to the rear 
position, ensure that no one is 
injured and that no objects are damaged. 
Engage and lock both seats and backrests 
into position prior to driving, otherwise 
unexpected movement could increase the 
risk of accident.<
The seat cushion and backrest can be 
heated with the ignition key in position 2.
Select the temperature setting:
Press each button briefly.
Direct deactivation from the second tem-
perature setting:
Press the button for a longer period.
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OVERVIEW REPAIRS OPERATIONCONTROLS DATA INDEX
HEAD RESTRAINTSAdjusting the head restraintsTo raise: pull the head restraint upward.
To lower: press the button and push the 
head restraint downward.
You can reduce the risk of spinal 
injury and whiplash by adjusting the 
head restraint to a height at which it is cen-
tered roughly at ear level.<
Removal1. Pull up the head restraint, continuing 
until it is at maximum extension
2. Press the button and remove the head 
restraint at the same time.Installation1. Press the button and at the same time 
insert the head restraint in the reception 
points
2. Adjust the head restraint.
To avoid possible violation of traffic 
laws, never retract the head res-
traints unless the rear seats are empty. 
Always ensure that the head restraints are 
raised before transporting passengers in 
the rear seat.<
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SAFETY BELTS STEERING WHEEL Drive with your safety belt onEven though there is an airbag, always fasten 
your seat belt before driving off, because air-
bags are designed to enhance the effective-
ness of the safety belts, not to replace them.To fastenMake sure you hear the lock engage in the 
belt buckle.
The warning lamp – Fasten safety 
belts – lights up for several seconds 
or until after the safety belts are 
fastened.To release1. Press the red button in the belt buckle
2. Hold the belt
3. Guide the belt back into its reel.
Safety belt height adjustmentUse the height adjustment mechanism to 
adapt the safety belt to the ideal position 
for your own body:
Press the button and at the same time push 
the entire unit upwards or downwards.
Also observe the instructions on adjusting 
the seats on page 33.
If the safety belts are damaged or 
stretched in an accident: have the 
safety belt system replaced by your MINI 
Dealer and the belt anchors checked, other-
wise the safety function can no longer be 
guaranteed. If a child-restraint system was 
in the vehicle during an accident, consult 
the manufacturer's instructions regarding 
replacement.<
To adjust the steering wheel height1. Push the locking lever downward
2. Adjust the desired steering wheel posi-
tion
3. Pull the lever back in.
Do not adjust the steering wheel 
while the vehicle is moving, other-
wise unexpected movement could increase 
the risk of accident.<
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